Spin Ministry
by RockSunner
Summary: Percy Weasley faces the aftermath of a major disaster at the MOM. Spoilers for OOTP.
1. Break in

Spin Ministry  
  
A story of the aftermath of the MOM break-in and its effects on Percy Weasley. Spoilers for OotP.  
  
Disclaimer: None of the major characters are mine.  
  
Chapter 1 -- Break-in  
  
Percy Weasley was outraged at how slowly the line to get into the Ministry of Magic was moving this Saturday morning. Everyone was being checked and searched. There was even a checkpoint where everyone had to take a small dose of veritaserum and answer questions like, "Who are you? What is your business here? Are you loyal to the Ministry of Magic?"  
  
Angry questions and rumors were going up and down the line.  
  
"Who do they think they are?"  
  
"I heard vandals broke in and destroyed the fountain in the lobby down there."  
  
"Worse than that, a whole army of dark wizards broke in and destroyed the whole place!"  
  
"I'm not taking veritaserum!"  
  
"If you don't they'll pull you out of the line and strip-search you!"  
  
The fountain part at least was true. The statues were in ruins. Enchanted mops were barely keeping up with the water leaking onto the floor.   
  
Percy finally got to the floor where his office was, just down the hall from Cornelius Fudge. He stopped by the break room to get some coffee to calm his nerves.  
  
"Coffee, black" he told the spigot floating in the middle of the air, which instantly came over and filled his cup.  
  
Adam Cephid, who worked in a cubicle down the hall from him, was also in the room.  
  
"Better watch your back, mate," said Adam in a whisper. "Heads are going to roll for this, and you can bet they won't be those at the top."  
  
"What in the world is going on?" asked Percy.  
  
"Less said, less blamed," whispered Adam, and he ducked out.  
  
Percy went down to his office. When he opened the door, a dozen URGENT memos dived at him. The paper airplanes popped open and loud voice messages came out.  
  
"Weasley, report to my office immediately!"  
  
"Weasley, this is Fudge! Where are you? Why are you late!"  
  
"Come to my office, NOW!"  
  
Percy was so startled he sloshed hot coffee on himself. He set down the cup and rushed down to Cornelius Fudge's office. Fudge was behind his desk, furious and fuming.  
  
"Weasley reporting for duty, sir!"  
  
"Weasley, you're late!"  
  
"Sorry sir, slow line today."  
  
"I know there's a slow line. Do you know why, Weasley?"  
  
"No, sir"  
  
"Because there was a break-in here last night! Dumbledore, an army of his followers, and a batch of under-age wizards from his school had a huge battle with Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters inside the Ministry of Magic, even inside the classified areas of the Department of Mysteries!"  
  
"Vo- He Who Must Not Be Named? It can't be!"  
  
"We have lots of witnesses, including myself. He was also captured on Magiccam."  
  
"But sir, the security..."  
  
"It was supposed to be on high alert after the other break-ins, yes. Well, it wasn't! There were no night patrols going at all! It seems that the beverage spigots in the security break rooms had all been bewitched to give sleeping potion in the drinks!"  
  
"This is terrible!"  
  
"You bet it is! It was deliberately designed to humiliate and discredit me. I gave a brief statement last night, but today someone is going to have to face the reporters with some spin control."  
  
"Someone, sir?"  
  
"It's you. Memorize this list of talking points, and call for a press conference ASAP."  
  
"Yes, sir, right away, sir."  
  
"And Weasley..."  
  
"Yes, sir?"  
  
"Change that shirt. There's a huge coffee stain on it. Disgraceful!" 


	2. Investigation

Chapter 2 Investigation  
  
Percy returned from the press conference emotionally exhausted. Normally the Daily Prophet softballed its questions to officials from the Ministry of Magic, but this time the news of the return of Voldemort and the errors of Fudge were too hot a story to resist.  
  
"I came off looking like an idiot," thought Percy. "I should have been much better briefed. Why wasn't I called in last night? Dawlish and Williamson were pulled in a the first hint of trouble."  
  
When he arrived at his desk, another URGENT memo from Fudge dived down and hit him on the head.  
  
"Even though he was right about Voldemort, there's no reason to trust Dumbledore's intentions with regards to power for himself," said the memo. "It's possible that Lord Thingy and Dumbledore conspired together to raid the MOM in order to destabilize the government. Once the government collapsed, the two factions would divide up control between themselves, or fight over it. I expect you to make a complete independent investigation by next week to determine what happened here and why. Signed, Cornelius Fudge"  
  
Percy was filled with doubts about the validity of this new idea. But it wouldn't do to contradict the boss. He tried to ask himself what Balthus Oselmo would do. (Balthus was a historical example in his favorite book, "Prefects who Gained Power." As the book would have it, his constant following of the rules and devotion to authority had enabled him to rise to the top of the wizarding world in 1896.)  
  
Still, it was possible Fudge was correct to some extent. Percy had gathered from his environment at the Ministry that there were at least a few grounds to suspect Dumbledore. The reports from Dolores Umbridge, his open admission of forming a student army, and now this spectacular midnight adventure into classified parts of the Ministry...  
  
Percy had suffered a great deal from following Fudge, especially in the loss of a good relationship with his family. This setback, far from making him change his attitude, confirmed his resolve. Somehow, he would show them they were wrong. Somehow, he would prove he could make it on his own. He pushed aside his doubts.  
  
To begin the investigation he had been ordered to make, he decided to interview people who had been on the scene. Dawlish would be a good start. Dawlish was also ambitious, but he was on a slightly lower rung than Percy.  
  
"I heard you arrived with Minister Fudge and saw everything, Dawlish," said Percy.  
  
"Yes, I was," said Dawlish, and stopped short. Was there a hint of a sneer in his voice?  
  
"Well, tell me about it," said Percy with a bit of pique.  
  
"I saw He Who Must Not Be Named disapperate out. There was a woman with him who fit the description of the Azkaban escapee Bellatrix Lestrange." Again he stopped.  
  
"Why are you being so uncooperative?" asked Percy.  
  
"Why should I co-operate with you? I think you're going to be finished around here soon," said Dawlish. "You're doubly contaminated."  
  
"What do you mean?" demanded Percy.  
  
"First off, you worked for Crouch, who broke his crazy Death Eater son out of Azkaban. When Crouch was behaving strangely, you covered for him," said Dawlish.  
  
"That's all past. I was checked, cleared, and promoted," said Percy.  
  
"Just don't be surprised if they re-open all that," said Dawlish. "It's a whole new Quiddich game now that we know Potter was telling the truth about Crouch Jr. working as an agent for You Know Who at Hogwarts. That means you're tied in with Him by association."  
  
"That's nonsense! What's the second 'contamination'?"  
  
"You're a Weasley, aren't you? Some think all Weasleys are members of the Dumbledore faction," said Dawlish.  
  
"I practically disowned my family to stay loyal to the Ministry!" said Percy indignantly.  
  
"I'm not saying you're a spy, but there are definitely suspicions and rumors around," said Dawlish. "I'd be really careful who you're seen associating with. And vice-versa, I'm going to be careful about associating with you. This interview is over. Bye, now."  
  
Percy left Dawlish's office angry and a bit afraid. For Dawlish to dare to speak to him like that meant he was really in trouble. He had to complete this investigation successfully or he would be finished in government. Or worse, he could be made a scapegoat for everything and sent to prison. He had to figure this out... 


	3. Wheezes

Chapter 3 Wheezes  
  
After the bad experience with Dawlish, Percy decided the best starting place would be an outsider's point of view. Did he dare approach someone in the family? He really had no choice but to try.  
  
Fred and George had opened a new joke shop, "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." Diagon Alley wasn't far from the Ministry of Magic. He decided to walk to the concealed entrance in the shabby pub rather than use Floo powder this time, just in case. Floo traffic was being closely watched these days.  
  
Students who hadn't had to take Owls this year were already out of Hogwarts for the summer. They, and many more children under eleven, were lined up halfway down the block waiting to get into the shop. It looked like the Wheezes was going to be a success.  
  
Percy was about to join the line when he remembered what Dawlish had said: "Be really careful who you're seen associating with." He noticed a young Hufflepuff he had known in his prefect days.  
  
"I say, Clancy. Would you do me a favor? I'd like to play a little joke on my brothers in there."  
  
"A joke?" said Clancy, surprised Percy would think of such a thing.  
  
"Yes. I've heard they sell a product in there called Extendible Ears. Would you buy a pair of them for me and hand the ends of them to George or Fred? Give them the Ear end of one and the earplug end of the other. Bring the other ends to me over at that cafe, and I'll talk to them from a distance," said Percy.  
  
He thought this was a rather clever idea, a bit like the Muggle "fellytone" his father was always talking about. It took about half an hour for Clancy to get back with the Ears. Percy had bought a Daily Prophet. He held it up in front of him while he put the earplug part in his ear and held the magical Ear up to his lips.  
  
"Hello?" he called into it softly.  
  
The answering noise was like a loud whoopie cushion.  
  
"Why should we talk to you like this?" said George. "For that matter, why should we talk to you at all?"  
  
"I'm in trouble," said Percy. "I wanted to protect you from being picked up and questioned in case I'm being watched."  
  
"You, Perfect Percy, in trouble?" said George.  
  
"It couldn't happen to a nicer guy," said Fred. He was standing by George but he could only hear half of the conversation.  
  
"Look, I know I haven't been the best brother in the world..." said Percy.  
  
"That's an understatement!" said George.  
  
"What did he say?" asked Fred.  
  
"I think he's trying to apologize," said George.  
  
"So he ought," said Fred.  
  
"I'm in real trouble and I need your help," said Percy. "Someone I work with told me I'm being set up to take the blame for the break-in at the Ministry last night."  
  
"What? That's ridiculous!" said George. George told this to Fred.  
  
"It was nothing to do with you," said Fred.  
  
"I know," said Percy. "But I need to know as much as possible about what really happened so I can protect myself. What was He Who.. I mean V-Voldemort trying to do there?"  
  
"They didn't really tell us much," said George. "I gather that Voldemort tricked Harry into going there somehow, and that he was after a prophecy stored in the Department of Secrets that was about him and Harry."  
  
"A prophecy? That's the first I've heard about it," said Percy.  
  
"Are you sure you should be telling him all this?" said Fred.  
  
"Well, he may need to know for his own protection," said George to Fred.  
  
"So it wasn't Dumbledore who initiated the whole thing?" said Percy.  
  
"NO! Who ever thought that?" said George.  
  
"Well, Fudge seemed to think it was all a plot to discredit him."  
  
"That's the stupidest idea I ever heard! Dumbledore and the others risked their lives to save Harry and his friends from the Death Eater's ambush. Sirius Black even died!"  
  
"Sirius Black? So he was there with the other Death Eaters and he was killed in the battle? That's good news."  
  
"No, you've got it all wrong," said George, "He..."  
  
"You've said enough," Fred cut in. He grabbed the Ear away from George. "Percy, you're just spying for Fudge, trying to get Dumbledore in trouble, aren't you?"   
  
"N-no, it's not like that," said Percy, but he couldn't keep his voice completely level.  
  
"Congratulations on your career rise," said Fred. "You're now the world's biggest git."  
  
Percy had to pull the earplug as they set off a loud series of fireworks into the Ear. 


	4. Magiccam

Chapter 4 Magiccam  
  
Percy hurried back to the office, his ear still ringing from the fireworks. Honestly, Fred and George had such an attitude these days. He was only trying to do his job. At least now he had a clue: the invasion was something about a prophecy stored in the Department of Mysteries.  
  
Percy remembered that Mr. Fudge had mentioned images captured on Magiccam. It was a newly installed security measure after the terrible incident with the snake and Percy's father. Percy was still shaken up about that. It was a miracle that the portrait of Everard had heard a noise and called someone in time to save Arthur Weasley. Percey had had to fend off embarrassing questions about what Arthur was doing down there, and as a result he'd had to distance himself from his family still further and not even visit his father in the hospital. That hurt, because Percy still cared about his father and was glad he had recovered.  
  
So the Ministry had decided to put in the latest available security device, a hovering invisible Wizard Camera that would take pictures of suspicious occurrences after hours. Percy decided on a bold frontal approach to the Magical Law Enforcement Department to see the pictures for himself.  
  
He approached the harried desk clerk and said, "The Minister's Office would like to see the Magiccam shots of last night's break-in again." This was basically true, since he worked for the Minister's office.  
  
"All right, all right," said the clerk, who was distracted with organizing piles of paperwork. "Here you are. Tell the Minister he shouldn't have given them back so soon if he wanted to keep looking at them. " She handed him a thick folder of prints.  
  
Percy riffled through the pictures. Most were useless; the Magiccam had sensed so much suspicious activity that it had whirled every which way, getting terrible camera angles. One was pretty clear, though. Percy caught a glare from the image of He Who Must Not Be Named standing in the middle of where the fountain used to be.  
  
"Do these include the Prophecy Room?" he asked casually.  
  
"No, the Minister didn't ask for those before," said the clerk. She fished out another file and handed him that too. This was working out very smoothly, he thought. Almost too smoothly.  
  
Then, as Percy hurried down the hall, he ran into a short witch with bright orange hair. He dropped the folders and the photos scattered everywhere.  
  
"Wotcher, Perce," said the witch. "Lemme help you pick those up."  
  
Now he remembered her. It was that young Auror who was always changing her looks. He really didn't want her to get a close look at the photos. His good memory for names came to the rescue.  
  
"Thank you, Nymphadora," he said.  
  
"That's Tonks! On second thought, pick them up yourself!" She left in a huff.  
  
Percy scooped up all the pictures and rushed back to his office.  
  
The initial scenes in the Prophecy Room were quieter and the Magiccam had gotten some better shots. Percy was shocked to see both Ron and Ginny in the group of students walking through the shelves. He knew Dumbledore had attracted many students to his side, but it was another thing to see his own family openly flouting the law for him like this.  
  
He came to a shot of Harry Potter reaching out for a glass orb on the shelf. Percy felt he had been right to warn Ron about getting mixed up with that young hooligan. He prodded the figure.  
  
"Move aside for a moment. I want to see the label on that shelf."  
  
Harry's image moved over and Percy was able to make out the inscription: " S. P. T. to A. P. W. B. D. Dark Lord and (?) Harry Potter."  
  
Percy easily identified the famous initials of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. But who was "S. P. T"? A prophet or prophetess... Sibyll Trelawney perhaps? He would have to find out her middle initial.  
  
His next step was clear. He would have to go to Hogwarts tomorrow and check out this lead. It wouldn't be easy, since it was the heart of the enemy camp and Dumbledore would be watching. But Percy had no choice but to try. 


	5. Hogwarts

Chapter 5 Hogwarts  
  
On Sunday Percy took the Knight Bus to Hogwarts. He normally wouldn't work on Sundays, but he was feeling the pressure to either show results in his investigation or be under investigation himself. It was too bad, because he had to break a date with Penelope Clearwater. It seemed like they were drifting apart now that so much of his spare time was being taken up by the job.  
  
From what he had heard around the office, Percy knew that Dumbledore was back in charge as Headmaster and that Dolores Umbridge was no longer acting as either High Inquistor or Headmistress. In fact, Umbridge was in the hospital wing following some sort of unfortunate centaur attack in the Forbidden Forest. Perhaps he could learn something by visiting her.  
  
Percy went straight to the hospital wing on arrival and spoke to Madame Pomfrey.  
  
"There's someone I'd like to visit here," he told her.  
  
"Oh yes, your brother Ron," Madame Pomfrey said. "He's recovering very well from the brain attack. Come right in."  
  
Percy was shocked; he hadn't known about Ron. Was a brain attack something like a nervous breakdown? He covered his surprise and thanked Madame Pomfrey.  
  
Ron and Hermione were in adjoining hospital beds. They were sharing parts of the Sunday Daily Prophet. Ron had the sports section and Hermione was rereading the details of the news story "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Returns." The other students who were visiting them earlier in the day had left. In a bed across from them was Professor Umbridge, looking quite blank.  
  
"Hullo, Ron," said Percy.  
  
"Percy? What are you doing here?" said Ron. "Come to admit you were wrong? How does crow taste?"  
  
"Well, it's clear the Ministry was wrong about quite a few things," said Percy, gesturing at the newspaper headline. "And so was I. How are you doing?"  
  
Ron showed his forearm. "I have some welts from the brain's tentacles, but they're getting better. I can do math in my head now. Listen: the square root of nine is three, the square root of ten is three point one six two two seven seven..."  
  
Hermione reached over and pinched his arm.  
  
"Ouch! Thanks Hermione. I'm supposed to try to stop thinking about stuff like that. I get carried away sometimes."  
  
"You must have tangled with the brains in the Think Tank," said Percy. "They're trying to make the magical equivalent of a computer."  
  
"Yes, didn't you know what had happened?" said Ron with a trace of suspicion in his voice.  
  
"All I heard was that you had suffered some sort of brain attack," said Percy.  
  
"And why visit me when you didn't visit Dad at St. Mungo's?"  
  
"Well, it was complicated, politics you know..."  
  
"Politics! Dad could have died and that's all you care about!" said Ron in a rage. "Why don't you go over there and talk to Umbridge? She's more your sort."  
  
"As a matter of fact, I intend to," said Percy huffily.  
  
He walked over to Umbridge and called her name. She seemed unresponsive, staring into space. Bits of twigs were in her hair. Percy leaned over her and tried to rouse her again, "Undersecretary Umbridge?"  
  
Ron made a clip-clopping noise with his tongue and Umbridge suddenly sat straight up, bumping into Percy's head. She looked around wildly, then settled back on her pillows when she saw no centaurs.  
  
Ron and Hermione chuckled. But Percy had heard the crinkle of a piece of paper under a pillow. Pretending to straighten the pillow, he got the paper out and pocketed it without them seeing.  
  
"Whatever you may think, Ron, I do care about Dad and the rest of the family," said Percy stiffly.  
  
"You sure don't show it," said Ron. He turned his face away.  
  
Percy left and went to a lavatory where he could read the paper in privacy. It was a single sheet torn from a clipboard. The writing was scrawled and almost illegible.  
  
"I, Hogwarts High Inquisitor and Headmistress Dolores Umbridge, am writing this in case I don't survive the night. I am writing from a cage in the Forbidden Forest where I am being held by filthy half-breed centaurs. There is a weapon in the woods that Dumbledore intends to use to gain power. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were trying to communicate with Dumbledore from my office fireplace to tell him it was ready. Under duress Miss Granger confessed, but before she could lead me to the weapon we were attacked by these animals. They want to kill me but I think they are waiting until the stars are right. Superstitious savages! I warned them there would be terrible consequences if I am killed, but they won't listen to me. Before the end, I'll use a charm I have to hide this note. It will reappear near my body in 24 hours. If someone loyal to the Ministry of Magic finds this note, take it to Minister Fudge immediately."  
  
There was a second paragraph below it, even more hastily written.  
  
"Dumbledore has arrived! He's trying to persuade the monsters to let me go, but I think he wants to kill me himself or obliviate my mind. He told them that when he gets his way centaurs and other magical creatures will be treated with respect and have equal rights with humans -- how absurd! It's not enough for the monsters. They still want to kill me. But one of the half-breeds just said it forsees that killing me now will cause a major disruption in the stream of time -- I'm saved! I'll use the charm on this note to keep Dumbledore from finding it. Curse Dumbledore! He'll probably try to undo all the good work I did, like sending that incompetent Sybil Projectra Trelawney packing to Hogsmeade once I became Headmistress. If the Ministry of Magic gets this note, make sure to put in another High Inquisitor like me."  
  
A final note, scrawled with dusty bits of twig in block capitals:  
  
"GOT NOTE BAK. VERY MIXD UP NOW. GETTING OUT OF HERE SOOON TO FIX CAREER KNOTS. KNOTSKNOTSKNOTSKNOT."  
  
Percy left hastily for Hogsmeade. There was a lot to think about in the note and he hadn't really processed it all yet. But the opportunity to talk to Sybil Trelawnley away from Hogwarts had to be taken now. 


	6. Trelawney

Chapter 6 Trelawney  
  
Percy was able to find Sybil Trelawney easily in Hogsmeade. It was a small village and there were only two inns: the Three Broomsticks and the Hog's Head. A respectable woman like Professor Trelawney would never go near the latter.  
  
He knocked on the door of her room.  
  
"Who is it?" she asked.  
  
"It's Percy Weasley, Professor."  
  
She opened the door at once. She looked pale, as if she'd been through a great deal of sorrow recently. But today she was quite cheerful.  
  
"Oh yes, I remember you, Percy. Such a good, respectful student you were. You took Divination studies seriously, unlike some frivolous students I could name," said Sybil.  
  
"Do you have time to talk for a bit?" asked Percy.  
  
"Certainly," Sybil said.  
  
They went down and got a table in the pub, which was unusually quiet for an early Sunday afternoon. The only person there was Madam Rosemerta. Percy ordered a coffee, and Sybil had tea and a plate of chocolate biscuits.  
  
"I remember seeing good things in your future. How have you been getting on?" asked Sybil.  
  
"Very well, thank you," said Percy. "I'm in the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic."  
  
"Oh yes, the Ministry of Magic," said Sybil with very little enthusiasm.  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that you had to leave Hogwarts," said Percy.  
  
"That's all been fixed up now," said Sybil happily. "I got an owl from Professor Dumbledore this morning that I'm welcome to come back, and I'm reinstated as a full professor. I'm going to have a centaur as a co-teacher, which will really be fascinating. Their knowledge of astrology is amazing."  
  
"How did it happen that you left?"  
  
"That horrid, horrid woman Umbridge took a dislike to me. She accused me of incompetence, but it was pure spite. She had me removed from teaching but while Professor Dumbledore was Headmaster she couldn't make me leave the school itself. It seems she never forgets a grudge. After she became Headmistress she and Filch kicked me out in the middle of the night. I didn't want a repeat of the humiliating scene she put me through the first time she tried to eject me, so I left quietly."  
  
Percy had not worked with Dolores Umbridge directly. She had always seemed very polite and reasonable around Mr. Fudge. Her current state at the hospital made him feel pity for her. But he could see that she had really angered Professor Trelawney.  
  
"I'm sorry you went through all that," said Percy.  
  
"Everything will be all right now that Umbridge is out and Professor Dumbledore is back."  
  
Percy was not so sure of that. There were very disturbing things in that note concerning Dumbledore. But since Professor Trelawney was clearly a Dumbledore partisan, Percy wouldn't tell her about that.  
  
"I see a dark fate in the future for that woman," Sybil added.  
  
"That reminds me," said Percy. "I came to ask you about a prediction of yours that we stored in the Prophecy Room. It has been stolen or destroyed and we need to reconstruct it."  
  
"A prediction of mine in the Prophecy Room? My, my, how flattering. But I can't think what it would be. I make tea leaf readings for Hogwarts every month and send them to Professor Dumbledore. I don't remember him ever saying he had sent them on to the Ministry of Magic."  
  
"Something concerning Harry Potter and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" asked Percy.  
  
"Not that I can remember. I did readings for Harry Potter when he was in my classes, of course. For a while his future looked very grim indeed. But this last semester the omens became much brighter. It's already beginning to come true! I saw his vindication in the morning paper," said Sybil.  
  
"What I would like to ask is if you would come with me to the Ministry today. We have a powerful Pensieve there for recording prophecies. We might also find other important predictions you have given that are not yet recorded," said Percy.  
  
"That's very flattering, but does it have to be today? I was planning on moving back to Hogwarts right away."  
  
"It wouldn't take long," said Percy. He was worried that once she got back to Hogwarts she would be under Dumbledore's influence and she might refuse to talk to the Ministry.  
  
"Beside, I'm starting to get a foreboding. The auspices for today may not be good."  
  
Percy was starting to feel a strange uneasiness, too. All joy seemed to be draining out of life. Unpleasant memories of arguing with his family and of being chewed out by Fudge were filling his mind...  
  
Suddenly he remembered one of the talking points from his press conference yesterday. Dementors were on the loose! He remembered the Ministry's advice about how to resist their mental attacks. He grabbed one of the chocolate biscuits and bit into it; instantly his mind became clearer.  
  
"Get down!" he hissed. "I think there's a Dementor outside."  
  
As they both ducked under the table, Percy caught a glimpse of a black-robed figure floating past the window. Its black-hooded face was starting to turn in their direction.  
  
"We've got to get out of here," Percy said. He crawled to the bar where Madam Rosemerta was hiding.  
  
"Is your fireplace on the Floo network?" he asked.  
  
"Not for a long time. I didn't get enough extra business that way to be worth the payments," Madam Rosemerta said.  
  
"I may be able to give it an emergency recharge. I have a government charge card," said Percy.  
  
He ran behind the bar and over to the fireplace. He placed the card against the grate.  
  
"Emergency recharge to reconnect to the Floo network!" he told the card urgently.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sir, your charge limit has been reduced pending background reinvestigation," the card said in a bored official voice.  
  
Percy tried again. "Emergency connection to send three people to the Ministry of Magic."  
  
"There's only enough for two people, Sir," said the card.  
  
"All right then, do that!" Percy said. The card glowed as magical power transferred to the fireplace.  
  
He beckoned to Professor Trelawney and Madam Rosemerta.  
  
"Come on, both of you. I've got an emergency connection. Go and send help back here," said Percy.  
  
"What about you?" asked Professor Trelawney.  
  
"I'll hold them off until help arrives," Percy said. Just how he was going to do that he didn't know. But he had to save the two women at least. He hid again behind the bar.  
  
They went through with a load pop, loud enough for the Dementors outside to hear. The light drained from the room as two Dementors glided in. 


	7. Escape

Chapter 7 Escape  
  
Two Dementors glided into the pub room. Percy felt the hope draining out of him. Trelawney and Rosemerta were supposed to send back help, but with all the security checks and red tape at the Ministry he was sure they would be too late.  
  
He had his wand but he'd never learned to produce a Patronus charm. He also knew that no-one could disapperate while near a Dementor because their draining fields suppressed that power. It was one of the reasons they had been used as Azkaban guards.  
  
Maybe they weren't looking for him. If he just hid quietly...  
  
The voices of the two Dementors echoed in his mind, quashing his last hope.  
  
"Percy Weasley, where is the Trelawney woman? What did she tell you about the prophecy?"  
  
"Percy Weasley, where is the note? Surrender it or die."  
  
The Dementors turned to each other. He couldn't make out their mental messages to each other but they seemed to be arguing about which one should get him first.  
  
With their attention distracted from him for a moment, Percy felt a little better. He found that he was still holding the rest of the chocolate biscuit in his left hand. He crammed it into his mouth and it gave him a fresh glimmer of sanity.  
  
He remembered that the Three Broomsticks had three famous Quiddich broomsticks mounted above the bar. Would one still work after all this time? He was about to find out.  
  
Percy leaped up and pulled hard at the lowest broomstick. It was stuck, and the handle snapped. He gasped in desperation and pulled at the second one.  
  
"It's hopeless to try to escape. Stay and experience my Kiss," said one of the Dementors, floating forwards.  
  
The Dementor was just about to grab him when the second broom came loose. It was active but wild from not being ridden in so long. Percy threw himself onto it. He zoomed over the Dementors' heads, straight for the front window of the pub. Covering his face with one arm, he smashed through the glass.  
  
Outside, the street was deserted. Probably everyone had seen the Dementors coming and had hidden or escaped. Percy flew the broom out into the forest. As soon as he was out of the range of the Dementor's field he landed and caught his breath for a moment. He got out his wand, concentrated on the Ministry of Magic, and disapperated.  
  
Percy arrived in the lobby, where Professor Trelawney and Madam Rosemerta were still trying to get through security checks in order to talk with someone with the authority to send help. He was pale as a ghost, bleeding from glass cuts on his left arm, and suffering the aftershock of disapperating right after a Dementor attack. He fainted in Madam Rosemerta's arms. 


	8. Pensieve

Chapter 8 Pensieve  
  
Percy woke up on a bed in an unfamiliar room. The last thing he remembered was fainting in Madam Rosemerta's arms. Was this her bedroom? He sat up and shook his head groggily.  
  
The room was very messy, with books piled up all over the floor and crushed cans of soda thrown in a corner. It didn't seem like Madam Rosemerta's kind of place.  
  
Tonks came in with a steaming cup.  
  
"Wotcher, Perce," she said, "I suggested to Trelawney that we get you someplace to recover. My place. Here's a cup of hot chocolate."  
  
Percy took it and drank it down. It made him feel a little better.  
  
"I've forgiven you using my first name, but don't do it again," said Tonks.  
  
"What happened to Madam Rosemerta?" he asked.  
  
"She stayed behind to report the Dementor incident at her pub," said Tonks. "Trelawney is in the living room waiting. She said you wanted to try to recover the lost prophecy, so I picked up a Pensieve and brought it along."  
  
The living room was even more messy than the bedroom. Percy had to move a stack of newspapers to sit down on the couch next to Professor Trelawney.  
  
"Now, think of the time you gave the prophecy to Dumbledore, and use your wand to transfer the memory into the Pensieve," Tonks instructed Trelawney.  
  
"But I don't remember ever giving him a major prophecy," said Trelawney. "Only the monthly tea-leaf readings. Oh yes, and a few images from my crystal ball."  
  
"The Pensieve can help you recall things you may have forgotten," said Percy. "Let's start with the first time you met Professor Dumbledore. We can work forwards from there.  
  
"All right, but if this doesn't turn up something quickly I'll go back to Hogwarts and ask Professor Dumbledore if he can help."  
  
Percy hoped it wouldn't come to that. A suspicion had begun to form in his mind of why she had forgotten.  
  
Trelawney placed the memory in the Pensieve, then looked into it.  
  
"There's nothing," she said. "Only my job interview for the position at Hogwarts."  
  
"May I look?" asked Percy.  
  
Percy found himself in the Hog's Head Inn, a place he had imagined Sybil Trelawney would never go. She was sitting at a table with Dumbledore, going on and on about her qualifications to teach Divination. Dumbledore was clearly unimpressed.  
  
"I can also read auras," she said. "In fact, I once sensed from my Aunt Gertrude..."  
  
"Yes, yes," Dumbledore interrupted, "We will take your application under consideration. Don't owl us, we'll owl you."  
  
As he started for the door, there was a curious glitch in the memory. Dumbledore was suddenly standing much closer.  
  
"Very well, you're hired," Dumbledore said. "Welcome to the staff of Hogwarts."  
  
Percy came out of the Pensieve trance convinced that something had been erased from Sybil's memory.  
  
"I found a blank spot in there," he told them. "Is there any way to recover it?"  
  
"There's an enhancement spell for Pensieves I learned in auror training," said Tonks. She waved her wand over the device in a peculiar pattern.  
  
Percy listened again. This time he heard a few words in the gap, very faintly and as if from far away.  
  
"ONE... POWER... DARK LORD... APPROACHES.... BORN... THRICE DEFIED... SEVENTH MONTH... WILL MARK... EQUAL... HAVE POWER... KNOWS NOT... MUST DIE... HAND... NEITHER... LIVE... OTHER SURVIVES.... CHILD... VANQUISH ... LEADER... RULE..."  
  
"Better than nothing," said Tonks, "But not a lot to go on."  
  
Professor Trelawney also listened to the message. "Why can't I remember saying any of that?"  
  
"I suspect Dumbledore obliviated it from your mind," said Percy.  
  
"Ridiculous! Why would he do something like that?" said Trelawney.  
  
"After all, he sent the prophecy in to the Ministry," said Tonks.  
  
"Possibly he sent in a doctored version so he could keep some details to himself," said Percy.  
  
"I refuse to believe Professor Dumbledore would do anything of the sort," said Trelawney.  
  
"I have evidence that Dumbledore used the Memory Charm on someone recently. This note," said Percy, producing it from his pocket. "It was written by Dolores Umbridge. The first parts are clearly written, but the last part is very confused. It proves something happened to her mind."  
  
"Let me see that," said Tonks. She looked at the note. "Something happened, all right, but it doesn't prove Dumbledore did it."  
  
"Even if he did, she certainly deserved it," said Trelawney.  
  
"He might have done it because she knew about a weapon he was building in the woods," said Percy.  
  
"I'm sure that was just a ruse by Hermione," said Tonks.  
  
"There's another problem. Someone sent Dementors after us today. They knew where you were, and they knew about the note," said Percy.  
  
"Who could have known?" asked Trelawney.  
  
"The only people who could have seen me take the note were my brother Ron and his friend Hermione Granger," said Percy. "They wouldn't send Dementors. And there's Dumbledore, who seems to have eyes everywhere in Hogwarts. I was fool enough to read the note while I was still there. And Dumbledore knew where you were, too. He sent you the owl."  
  
"Don't forget Umbridge," said Tonks.  
  
"Dolores Umbridge would never send Dementors after anyone," said Percy.  
  
"I wouldn't put it past her," said Trelawney. "She has a very dark aura."  
  
"Even if she might, for the sake of argument, she was in no mental state to do it and I don't see how she could have called Dementors from a hospital bed," said Percy.  
  
"So you think Dumbledore did?" said Tonks incredulously.  
  
"Indeed I do. That's the only possibility left," said Percy. "Minister Fudge thinks he might have been in league with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. They may have invaded the Ministry on Friday together to discredit the government."  
  
"Absurd! I've heard enough," said Trelawney. "May I use your fireplace, Tonks? I'm going back to Hogwarts at once."  
  
"You mustn't," said Percy. "You might be in danger there."  
  
"Absolute nonsense," said Trelawney. "Percy, I'm afraid your Ministry career has taken you down a very dark path that can only end in disaster. I see it hovering over you now."  
  
Nothing Percy could say would persuade her. With a heavy heart he had to let her go.  
  
Tonks turned to Percy. "I suppose you're going to take that note to Fudge and share all your wild suspicions with him."  
  
"I have to."  
  
"I really wish you would drop the whole thing."  
  
"I can't, it's my duty to report to the Minister."  
  
"Then things are going to get a bit ugly around here," said Tonks ominously. "Accio note!" 


	9. The Note

Chapter 9 The Note  
  
"Accio note!" said Tonks, pointing her wand at it.  
  
The note popped out of Percy's hand and flew to Tonks. She grabbed it.  
  
"Incendio!" she said, and the note disappeared in a puff of smoke.  
  
"What- what did you do that for?" said Percy in astonishment. "You're working for Dumbledore, aren't you?"  
  
"In a manner of speaking, yes," said Tonks. "I'm a member in good standing of the Order of the Phoenix."  
  
"Then the note _does_ incriminate Dumbledore. There really _is_ a weapon in the woods!" said Percy.  
  
"No. I didn't burn the note because it incriminates Dumbledore. I burned it because it incriminates me!" said Tonks.  
  
"What does the note have to do with you?"  
  
"I wrote it," said Tonks.  
  
"Dolores Umbridge wrote it!" said Percy.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
There was a mocking tone in her voice and a wild look in her eyes that scared Percy. Had she gone mad? He instinctively reached for his wand, but it wasn't in his pocket.  
  
"Looking for something?" said Tonks. "I took it while you were unconscious." She kept her own wand pointed at him.  
  
Percy decided he'd better humor her.  
  
"So, you're Dolores Umbridge?" he said.  
  
"I see you don't believe me," said Tonks. Her features shifted into the froglike face of Umbridge. "I got my hands on a Time Turner from the Ministry years ago. There was a real Nymphadora Tonks, but she died young. I set up a fake identity in her name. When my career went wrong as Umbridge, I came back as Tonks to get revenge."  
  
"How did you disguise yourself so completely?"  
  
"I've always been a metamorphagus, but I kept it secret. It was an ace up my sleeve in my rise in the Ministry."  
  
"What are you planning to do?"  
  
"I'm nearly ready to take revenge on them all: Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and your brothers George and Fred. But there was one thing that could expose me before I was ready. That note."  
  
"There's nothing in the note that points to you."  
  
"Something happened to my mind that Friday night I was captured by those filthy centaurs. Probably Dumbledore did an obliviate on me. I scribbled on that note trying to get my head together, and I revealed too much."  
  
"I don't see what."  
  
"I was having trouble writing straight. 'FIX CAREER KNOTS' I wrote. 'KNOTSKNOTSKNOT'. You see now? It's almost backwards for 'TONKS TONKS TONKS'."  
  
"I would never have seen that."  
  
"But someone at the Ministry who was smarter than you might have. I couldn't take the chance. There was also something there about how killing me would break the fabric of time. It would have messed up time to kill me as Umbridge before I affected the past as Tonks."  
  
"So you had to get the note before I showed it to anyone."  
  
"That's why I sent the Dementor after you."  
  
"_You_ sent the Dementors?"  
  
"I sent one. The Dark Lord must have figured out that you were going to Trelawney because she was the source of the lost prophecy, and sent the other."  
  
"I got away because the two Dementors argued over me."  
  
"That's why I made backup plans, like intercepting you today at the Ministry before you could report to Fudge."  
  
"What are you going to with me now?"  
  
"You can be killed while resisting arrest. You're already under suspicion. Aurors are allowed to use the death curse when they have to."  
  
Percy realized he had to do something before she killed him. A wild plan came into his mind. Would she still be affected by this? He had to try it. He made a clip-clop sound with his tongue as Ron had done in the hospital.  
  
Umbridge looked around wildly. In that instant, Percy grabbed a pile of books from the floor and threw them at her, knocking her wand from her hand. They both raced for it, but Umbridge was clumsy with age and tripped over a footstool. Percy got to the wand first and stunned her with it.  
  
He had to report this to Fudge. It was after office hours, so he apparated straight to the Minister's house. 


	10. Fudge

Chapter 10 Fudge  
  
Percy apparated to the front porch of Cornelius Fudge's mansion. He was instantly surrounded by four grim-faced Aurors pointing their wands at him. It made sense that security was tight here after all that had happened.  
  
"Drop that wand and put your hands in the air -- now!" commanded one of them.  
  
Percy obeyed immediately. A second Auror picked up the wand.  
  
"I've seen a wand like this before. It looks like the one Tonks carries. What have you done with her?" he said.  
  
"I had to stun her, but I can explain," said Percy.  
  
The Aurors looked even more grim.  
  
"Just let me talk with Mr. Fudge," Percy said.  
  
"We'll take you to Mr. Fudge, all right," said another of them.  
  
They opened the front door and pushed him inside. With one on either side, they marched him to Fudge's study. Fudge was there at his desk looking at a manilla folder.  
  
"Weasley, what is the meaning of this?" demanded Fudge.  
  
"Sir, I'm sorry to come here so late but I had an urgent report," said Percy. "I had to tell you about a traitor and spy in the Ministry. It's Tonks, sir. Tonks is actually Um-"  
  
"Silencio!" said Fudge, jabbing his wand at Percy. "I don't want to hear any of your lies. There's a spying traitor in the Ministry all right. It's you. I was about to make out an order for your arrest, but you've saved us the trouble."  
  
The spell had made Percy silent, but he shook his head in vigorous denial.  
  
"We discovered that you obtained the files of Magiccam photos yesterday under false pretenses. They were found in your office. And in the back of the drawer we found a photo you had removed and hidden," said Fudge.  
  
Fudge pulled a photo out of the manilla folder and showed it to Percy. A tall young man with red hair was waving his wand at the beverage-dispensing spigot in one of the guard's break rooms, obviously jinxing it.  
  
As Percy looked closer, the image winked at him. He realized it was Tonks, impersonating him to frame him. She must have recognized the photo file when he dropped it in front of her. She had sneaked into his office to plant the fake picture.  
  
"There's no point in denying it. You're caught," said Fudge. "You jinxed the beverage spigots to put the guards to sleep so that Voldemort and Dumbledore could come in and raise havoc."  
  
Percy shook his head again. It was terrible to know the truth and not be believed. He was beginning to realize how Harry Potter must have felt when Fudge wouldn't believe him about Voldemort.  
  
"With all the other embarrassments we've had, we can't afford to bring you to trial," said Fudge. "It would look very bad for someone so high in the Ministry to be revealed as a traitor. You'll have to be disappeared."  
  
Percy's eyes widened in horror.  
  
"Don't worry, we aren't killers like the dark wizards you serve," said Fudge. "We'll just hold you incommunicado in a special section of Azkaban."  
  
Fudge beckoned and Dawlish stepped forward.  
  
"We'll take a page from Barty Crouch Jr.'s book and have Dawlish impersonate you with polyjuice for public appearances," said Fudge. "We'll need a sample of that red Weasley hair before you go."  
  
"Goodbye Weasley," said Dawlish. "I'll enjoy taking over your job."  
  
With that, Dawlish raised his wand and stunned Percy. 


	11. Mirror

Chapter 11 Mirror  
  
Percy paced his cell in Azkaban. There only wizard guards now, no more Dementors. He could hardly have felt worse if there had been. His family had been right. He had been a fool to give his loyalty to Fudge and a fool to suspect Dumbledore.  
  
By his own arrogant self-righteousness he had alienated friends and family, pushed them away to such a distance that they weren' t likely to detect that the imposter wasn't him. Worse, he hadn't been able to get the word out about Tonks/Umbridge. People he cared about were in danger from her and he couldn't warn them.  
  
There was a sound at the door. A package was pushed through the slot that they used to deliver his meals. Percy ran and picked it up. It was wrapped in plain brown paper and it had a note on it: "I thought you might like a book to pass the time. Dawlish."  
  
Percy tore open the package. The book was "Prefects Who Gained Power." He threw it to the floor and stomped on it.  
  
---------  
  
Dumbledore walked down the hall to the locked room where he kept the Mirror of Erised. He knew it wasn't a good idea, but once a month he permitted himself this indulgence.  
  
After all, what he desired was possible according to the prophecy. He thought again about the last line, a line that he had hidden from everyone by splicing over phrases from earlier in Trelawney's prediction. "THE UNHAPPY CHILD SHALL VANQUISH THE OTHER... AND THE LEADER OF THE VICTOR'S SIDE SHALL RULE THE WORLD."  
  
It still wasn't certain. Dumbledore had ensured that Harry Potter fit the prophecy by leaving him with the Dursleys, but Tom Riddle had also had an unhappy childhood. Voldemort might still win and rule. But if Harry Potter won, the leader of the victor's side would be none other than Dumbledore himself.  
  
Dumbledore had promised the centaurs equal treatment and respect. He had obliviated the memory of Dolores Umbridge because she had heard that promise. He wanted equality for all the magical races: centaurs, elves, goblins, and giants alike. It seemed to him there was only one way to ensure that it happened.  
  
He opened the door and gazed into the Mirror. In his left hand he was holding a pair of thick, woolen socks. In his right hand -- a scepter.  
  
THE END  
  
Postscript: This story may be considered a prequel to "Home Free", so if you would like to find out more of what happens next, check out that story. 


End file.
